Odd Man
Thru Hiker
My (short) shoe history has been
Inov8 Roclite 282 GTX
Inov8 X-Talon 225
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail SG
Altra Lone Peak 3.0
Bedrock Cairn Adventure Pro 3D
Altra Superior 4.0
Inov8 Roclite 282 GTX was ok for awhile, but later they turned out to be a bit too wide & loose, and after a one long mountain climb my ankles & calves were in agony due to not being able to stabilise the shoe effectively. I gave them up.
Inov8 X-Talon 225's I've worn the most. They are only 4mm drop and 8mm thick. I love the grip and I love how I can feel what's under my foot, which makes my movement more secure. This comes with a minor penalty of PF fatigue on high miles days. Walking on pavement is a fit funny due to lugs, and they make this noise like walking on cockroaches.
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail SG I still have these, but I've only tried wearing them couple of times and both times I got pretty big chafing on my achilles. I think this is due to thin material around the area, whereas in the FG model it's padded. I love the feel and the grip, but they are just not very comfortable. I'd love to wear them if I could find a way to prevent the chafing.
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 I only had these for a little while. I just found them too soft, bouncy and also slippery on solid surfaces.
Bedrock Cairn Adventure Pro 3Ds are sandals. I've successfully hiked 2/3 days of Milford Track in these without issues and I even had a recently broken pinky toe while doing it. There's is minimal break in period, but the minimal ridge in 3D models might cause blisters on some people. I like to hike in sandals, but the sole pattern could be a bit more aggressive.
Altra Superior 4.0 I've been walking in these the last couple of months. They are better for me than Lone Peaks and after some adjustment period, I'm ok with the extra cushioning, even though it still feel a bit weird to me. They are better than Lone Peaks due to less cushioning. However, they seem to have the same issue as LPs. The grip is not great on slick surfaces, or even in a bit of muffy trail.
As a bigger guy, I need a bit more grip for comfortable movement and found X-talons and Primus Trail SGs really help me keeping a balance on uphills & downhills.
Now my question is: Is there any downsides with using aggressively patterned trail runners, like X-talons or Mud Claws? I'd assume that they work pretty well with UK trails which tend to be muddy or sandy.
Am I missing something?
Inov8 Roclite 282 GTX
Inov8 X-Talon 225
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail SG
Altra Lone Peak 3.0
Bedrock Cairn Adventure Pro 3D
Altra Superior 4.0
Inov8 Roclite 282 GTX was ok for awhile, but later they turned out to be a bit too wide & loose, and after a one long mountain climb my ankles & calves were in agony due to not being able to stabilise the shoe effectively. I gave them up.
Inov8 X-Talon 225's I've worn the most. They are only 4mm drop and 8mm thick. I love the grip and I love how I can feel what's under my foot, which makes my movement more secure. This comes with a minor penalty of PF fatigue on high miles days. Walking on pavement is a fit funny due to lugs, and they make this noise like walking on cockroaches.
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail SG I still have these, but I've only tried wearing them couple of times and both times I got pretty big chafing on my achilles. I think this is due to thin material around the area, whereas in the FG model it's padded. I love the feel and the grip, but they are just not very comfortable. I'd love to wear them if I could find a way to prevent the chafing.
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 I only had these for a little while. I just found them too soft, bouncy and also slippery on solid surfaces.
Bedrock Cairn Adventure Pro 3Ds are sandals. I've successfully hiked 2/3 days of Milford Track in these without issues and I even had a recently broken pinky toe while doing it. There's is minimal break in period, but the minimal ridge in 3D models might cause blisters on some people. I like to hike in sandals, but the sole pattern could be a bit more aggressive.
Altra Superior 4.0 I've been walking in these the last couple of months. They are better for me than Lone Peaks and after some adjustment period, I'm ok with the extra cushioning, even though it still feel a bit weird to me. They are better than Lone Peaks due to less cushioning. However, they seem to have the same issue as LPs. The grip is not great on slick surfaces, or even in a bit of muffy trail.
As a bigger guy, I need a bit more grip for comfortable movement and found X-talons and Primus Trail SGs really help me keeping a balance on uphills & downhills.
Now my question is: Is there any downsides with using aggressively patterned trail runners, like X-talons or Mud Claws? I'd assume that they work pretty well with UK trails which tend to be muddy or sandy.
Am I missing something?